


Careful

by dogandmonkeyshow



Series: Watson's Woes JWP 2017 fics [3]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Gen, Post-Episode: s04e03 The Final Problem, Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-11-23 02:45:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11393745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dogandmonkeyshow/pseuds/dogandmonkeyshow
Summary: Baby monitors make excellent surveillance equipment.





	Careful

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Watson's Woes DW comm's July Writing Prompts daily challenge, prompt #3: _Overheard_.

Through the baby monitor, John heard Mrs Hudson singing a nonsense song to Rosie as she changed her nappy. Distracted by the doorbell, he didn't hear what happened to the lost tortoise, but he imagined it would all work out in the end and the tortoise would be home in time for tea, as this was a recurring theme in Mrs Hudson's little songs, which John was convinced she made up as she went along.

Expecting Sherlock, John found Molly on the other side of the door.

“Hi,” he said, not hiding his surprise.

“Hi John. Mrs Hudson asked me to take over this afternoon so she could go to her belly dancing class.”

As he stepped aside for Molly, John firmly quashed any and all emergent mental imagery invoked by her last statement.

“I thought you and Sherlock were going down to Brighton.”

“Yeah, we are. We were supposed to leave an hour ago, and he's not responding to texts. So who knows; it might be off.” John could tell Molly was slightly concerned, but he knew exactly where Sherlock was: Sherrinford.

“Okay. Is she upstairs?”

“Yeah.”

“I'll see you later, then.” Molly hung up her scarf and coat, then went up to join Mrs Hudson in Rosie's room.

As he texted Sherlock again ( _We still on for Brighton? Have other thing i can be doing if not. J_ ) John faintly heard the two women through the baby monitor, baby-talking to Rosie, then moving on to her general temperament that day. John smiled; he knew how lucky he was to have such wonderful friends who helped with his daughter. There was no way he could cope without them.

“Where do you think Sherlock is?” John could hear the slight edge to Molly voice, even through the cheap, tinny speaker.

“Oh, I don't know, dear. He seems to be out and about a lot without John.”

“That's not good. Is it?”

“You don't think—?” 

“I don't think so.”

John blanched when he realised what they were talking about.

“No, we'd know. God knows, I've seen him high often enough to see the signs. Haven't I Rosie? Yes, I've seen Uncle Sherlock high a lot, haven't I?” Mrs Hudson had descended to baby talk and John didn't know whether or laugh or cringe that she was talking about Sherlock's junkie past to his infant daughter as if she were talking about teddy bears.

“Still, it's not like Sherlock to just abandon John like that, is it?”

“Isn't it, dear?”

“Yeah, you're right, that's exactly like Sherlock.” The two women laughed and John wished he could join in. He checked his phone again; still no reply from the man of the hour (“Man of the hour late,” John grumbled).

Sherlock's increasing—obsession, John wanted to think, though he knew that clinically speaking, it was hardly that—fascination with his long-lost sister was kind of getting up John's nose. He was trying to be a good friend, trying to understand what having Eurus back in his life meant to Sherlock, but John was flummoxed by the whole thing. Even Mycroft was getting into the game, which John thought was bizarre, all things considered. And now everyone else in their life was noticing Sherlock's mysterious absences. They needed to be more careful.

_Molly and Mrs H think you're off on a drug bender again. J_

If that didn't elicit a response nothing would, John figured. And he was right: two minutes later, Sherlock finally replied to the five texts John had sent in the last 45 minutes.

_What? SH_

John snickered, imagining the look on his friend's face. Probably the scrunched-up one that made flesh rolls appear at the bridge of his nose. _Sudden unexplained absences. Secretiveness. Always distracted. Classic symptoms. J_

Before Sherlock could reply, John added, _We need to be more careful_

_We? SH_

_I was the one at the bottom of that well, S. It's all our secret_

There was no reply after that. And no trip to Brighton, either. 

After another hour waiting for Sherlock to either show up or cancel, he relieved Molly of babysitting duty, but she stayed anyway. They shared a pizza and watched Mock the Week, and at the end of the evening John felt a little better. But he could tell Molly was concerned. About Sherlock's absences, particularly from John and Rosie, and he could tell she wanted to ask him what was going on. Not being able to tell her, the one person they knew who John was absolutely sure could keep the secret, hurt almost as much as the prospect of Sherlock's growing absences. But John knew that while he was party to the secret, it wasn't really his to tell. So he sent Molly on her way still unenlightened, and John trundled up the stairs to check on Rosie before heading to bed, telling (but not convincing) himself that he had nothing to worry about.


End file.
